Scaffold



CHARLES FOSTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SCAFFOLD.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,156, dated January 29, 1856.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FOSTER, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented a new and Improved Scaifold for Supporting the Workmen while Paint-ing or Repairing the Fronts or Walls of Houses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a perspective View, showing the scaifold applied for the purpose, in front of a house; Fig. 2, a plan view of the upper connections, and Fig. 3, a side view of the same; Fig. 4 a plan View of the lower connections, and Fig. 5, a side view of the same; and Fig. 6, a side View of one of the brackets, showing the manner of attaching it to the posts or uprights-like letters indicating t-he same parts when on the differentfigures. y

The nature of my invention consists in supporting the foot boards upon which the workmen stand, by means of brackets constructed and applied in a peculiar manner to adjustable uprights; in the mode of constructing and operating the uprights; and also in the means of securing them in a firm and perfectly safe position in front of the house or building, without fixing any part of the scaffold in direct contact with the wall of the building, thus allowing the workmen safe, convenientand unobstructed access to every part of the surface which.may be required to be painted or repaired.

Referring to the drawings, A-A-A, are the adjustable uprights; B-B, the brackets; C-C the foot boards resting on the brackets (show)n also by the dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4 D-D, are adjustable sliding ties for securing the uprights lirmly at any requisite distance apart; E-E, are adjustable sliding jacks, having jointed and hooked adjustable arms, for securing the scaffold to the sills of the upper window frames; and F-F, are Vadjustable sliding hooks for securing the scaffold, also to the hinge eyes,

on the window frames of the second of the building.

The adjustable uprights (A) each consist of two or more square pieces of timber, about 4X4 inches thick, applied together and secured by collar bands (a-a), and nut bolts (6 5) passing through the matched holes (c--c) in the same, so that the said bolts may be readily withdrawn by hand, and the uprights adjusted to any suitable length, by sliding the one upon the other and then securing them firmly together by means of the said bolts and nuts, as shown in the drawings. The brackets (B) are applied on the inner side of the uprights (A), at about six feet apart, as shown distinct-ly in Fig. l, and are constructed of iron and in a branched form, so that when applied, the one branch forms a brace to the other in the usual manner. Their particular mode of construction and application to the uprights is more distinctly shown in Fig. G. The part el, forms the immediate support for the foot board, its one end being made to pass horizontally through a suitable hole in the upright, and has a hole made vertically through it for the ready admission of a key bolt (e), and its other end bent up so as to keep the foot board from sliding off toward the wall. The brace branch (g) is welded to the horizent-al one, and also bent upward at its free end, as shown by the dotted lines 7L, so as to enter readily into a hole made in the upright, it having also a ange (i) fixed around it so as to aford to the brace a broad flat bearing against the upright, as shown in the drawing. The adjustable sliding ties (D, D,) each consists of two iiat bars of iron held together by collar bands (j-y') so as to be free to slide, the one upon the other, in a well known manner. One of these bars has a series of holes made through itabout an inch apart, and the collar band (Xed on the end of the other) has also a matching hole in it, through which and the bar a key bolt is inserted so as to fix the adjusted length of the tie. The ties just destory scribed are secured to the uprights (A, A,

Yplate on the upright.

A,) by means of nutted bolts (Z-Z) which pass horizontally through them, as shown in the drawings.

The adjustable sliding jacks (l-E) each consists of two pieces of iron, made and fitted together so as to slide, the one upon the other, being held together by collar bands (m, l17a-see Fig. 3) and adjusted by a key bolt and holes, like the ties D, their outer ends (n and n) projecting downward at right angles, and being made so that the outside one (a) may bear against the outside of the window sill (G), and the inside one so as to receive a screw bolt (o) whose inner end can be brought up against the inner side of the sill-a small metallic plate or block, intervening so asV to prevent the sill being indented or injured by the end of the said bolt in screwing it up against the same, when the jack is thus being fixed to the sill. A broad flat projection is also made on the outer slide, and to this is attached, by a pivot, an adjustable hooked tie or brace (g) (consisting of a hooked rod capable of sliding within a tube, and being secured therein by a screw bolt (r) in a 'well known manner), which tie or brace 1s also flattened at its inner end, and capable of being moved (right and left) upon the projection (79), the connecting pivot being riveted to the same. This tie or brace (q) is also adapted (by means of a set screw (s) which passes through a slot` in the tie at this part) so as to be fixed at any angle which may be required in connecting the hooked end of the same with an adjustable eye- This eye-plate (I-I) (see Fig. 2) is constructed so as to be adjusted at any point on the upright to suit the height of the jacks on the window sills, and is secured to the uprights by means of a binding bolt and nut (t), and has also an eye or loop fixed on the inner side, into which the hook of the tie (q) is inserted in connecting the uprights (A) to the window sills of the building. I sometimes also make use of a rigid tie brace, (u) having a hook at one end and a notch at the other, as shown in the drawing (Fig. 3) for connecting the sliding bars (D) with the lower part of the jack, in a direct manner as shown in Fig. 2. The adjustable sliding hooks (F-F) are each madev to slide and be fixed together in the same manner as the sliding ties (D-D) and have a hook (o) formed at each end (see Figs. 4 and 5)-the one hook being adapted for connecting with an eye-plate (H) constructed and applied to the upright as before described, and the other hook adapted for entering the eye of the hinge, on the window frame-the shutter being removed therefrom.

In combining these several parts together and producing a scaffold for the purposes mentioned, I first adjust the lengths of the uprights to suit the height of the building, and insert the brackets so as to arrange for the foot boards at about 6 feet apart; I then place a board or plank 1) upon the pavement, parallel with, and three or four feet from the front of the building, and upon this erect the uprights and connect them respectively with the lower eyes of the hinges on the window frames of the second story, by means of the hooked ties or braces (F, F,) as shown in Figs. 1 and 4c. I then adjust and apply the jacks (Fl-E) one at each end of the sills of the upper window frames, and connect the uprights therewith by means of the tie braces (6])- the eye-plates (H, and HQ) being adjusted and fixed at the proper height on the uprights, to suit the position of the jacks in the one case, and the hinge eyes in the other. The two ties of each window, being thus arranged and connected with the three uprights respectively, they are each ina horizontal oblique position in relation to the uprights and the front of the building (as shown in the drawings) and hence operate, both as braces and ties, and prevent any swaying movement of the uprights. The foot-boards (C-C) are now placed upon the brackets, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus afford convenient footing for the workmen in putting up and attaching the long ties (D and D), which are now fixed to the uprights in horizontal positions, the one about 8 feet from the pavement, and the other a few feet below the upper ends of the uprights, as shown in Fig. 1. The scaffold is now firm, secure and ready for use. 'Ihe uprights being placed, in putting up the same, `at a sufficient distance from the wall to allow about six inches space between the Vlatter and the projecting ends of the brackets, and the scaffold being held in position (as shown in Fig. 1) in front of the building, without direct contact with any part of the wall, the workmen, standing upon the foot boards, have convenient and unobstructed access to every part of the samewhich is of great importance, especially in penciling the fronts of houses; while the whole apparatus is very simple and inexpensive, easily and quickly put up or taken down without any extraneous support, lor even the necessity of driving a nail, using a hammer, or removing a brick out of the foot Vpavement upon which it is usually erected.

I do not `claim separately, either of the several devices constituting the scaffold herein described; -but What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A scaffold consisting of the combination of the adjustable uprights (A, A, A) the movable brackets (B-B) for supporting means ofthe jacks (E-E) and the braces the foot boards; and the horizontal, adjustable ties (D-D) the same being arranged, combined together and operating as described, and also held or secured in a perfectly steady position, near the building Which is to be repaired or painted, Without direct Contact with the Wall of the same, by

(F-F) constructed, applied and operating 10 substantially as set forth and described.

CHARLES FOSTER.

l/Vitnesses:

CHAS. M. BAKER, BEN. MORISON. 

